Estilo de vida da mulher hipertensa e a relação com o autocuidado

Abstract

This study approached the experiences of the hypertensive woman within the context of her life. It searches the social-economical and cultural factors related to the arterial hypertension multifactorial syndrome and its effects in the hypertensive woman self-care. This work is a descriptive exploratory study, with a quantitative approach, and has been based in Orem’s theory of self-care. This study was developed at a State Referral Health Agency, which deals with diabetes and hypertension, located in the township of Fortaleza, Ceará. The sample consisted of 200 hypertensive women within the age bracket starting at 20 years old. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews undertaken during nursing appointments in the months of August, September and October, 1997. The data was analyzed according to Bardin’s categorial analysis technique. The results were distributed in three categories: social-demographical description of the women surveyed; life-style and the social-cultural relation; and life experiences the women had with arterial hypertension and its relation with self-care. In the population surveyed 145 (73%) women in the age group ranging from 40 to 69 years old; 159 (80%) live with their family; and 30 (15%) live with relatives or in homes for old people, and 11 (5%) live by themselves; 122 (61%) women have completed basic studies up to 8* grade, and 118 (59%) have a family income ranging from 1 to 2 minimum wages. The occupations these women hold are related to schooling levei and family income. Obesity and over-weight are present in 180 (90%) women, with a predominance of the non-white women. The time for diagnosis and treatment it self did not influence their adherence to treatment. About 172 (86%) women found out they had high blood pressure in a medicai appointment through their complaints and 150 (75%) women have a family history of arterial hypertension. As a conclusion, we verified in the women the presence of the hypertensive multifactorial syndrome; lack of knowledge of this syndrome; partial adherence to treatment; the predominant age group ranging from 40 to 69 years old; several correlated diagnosis; women in distress, suffering, with low self- steem; elementary schooling; low family income; and inefficient practice of self-care.